Journal
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
Volume 59, Issue 4, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59040664
Keywords
caesarean section; childhood obesity; birth weight; postnatal outcomes; pre-school age; vaginal delivery; body mass index; public health; obstetric conditions
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This study found that caesarean section delivery is associated with childhood overweight/obesity, low birth anthropometric indices, and postnatal complications. Caesarean section increases the risk of childhood overweight/obesity and low birth anthropometric indices, highlighting the need for health policies to inform mothers about its risks.
Background and Objectives: In the last decades, simultaneously increasing trends have been recorded for both caesarean section delivery and childhood overweight/obesity around the world, which are considered serious public health concerns, negatively affecting child health. Aim: The present study aims to investigate whether caesarean section is associated with the increased rates of childhood overweight/obesity, low childbirth anthropometric indices and postnatal complications in pre-school age. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 5215 pre-school children aged 2-5 years old were enrolled from nine different Greek regions after applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Non-adjusted and adjusted statistical analysis was performed to assess the impact of caesarean section in comparison to vaginal delivery. Results: Children delivered by caesarean section were significantly more frequently overweight or obese at the age of 2-5 years, also presenting a higher prevalence of low birth weight, length and head circumference. Caesarean section was also associated with higher incidence of asthma and diabetes type I at the age of 2-5 years. In a multivariate analysis, caesarean section increased the risk of childhood overweight/obesity and low childbirth anthropometric indices even if adjusting for several childhood and maternal confounding factors. Conclusions: Increasing trends were recorded for both caesarean section delivery and childhood overweight/obesity, which are considered serious public health concerns. Caesarean section independently increased childhood overweight/obesity in pre-school age, highlighting the emergent need to promote health policies and strategies to inform future mothers about its short and long-term risks and that this mode of delivery should preferably be performed only when there are strong medical recommendations in emergency obstetric conditions.
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